1. Field of Invention
This invention relates in general to suspension systems for trailers and, in particular, to a hanger for a leaf spring having looped ends to be secured by the hanger within the interior of rectangular tubing forming the trailer frame.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Vehicle-towed trailers have typically employed leaf springs to suspend an axle from the trailer frame thereby providing the trailer with suspension and shock absorption. The prior art discloses a variety of arrangements for the mounting of such leaf springs relative to the trailer frame. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,756 issued to R. W. Stout et al. discloses a leaf spring wherein one end is carried within an open channel formed in the longitudinal frame member having a skirt portion flared outwardly to accommodate flexing of the spring. U.S. Pat. No. 3,177,005 issued to J. J. Duero et al. discloses a leaf spring wherein both ends of the spring are carried within a channel-shaped member opening outwardly and having reinforcing flanges where necessary. The C. Westergard patent, U.S. Pat. No. 1,354,082, does not disclose leaf spring ends being carried within a vehicle frame member, but does disclose a quarter-elliptic spring having one of its ends secured within a frame channel by a clamping plate. Two patents to H. B. Layman and K. W. Couse, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,142,337 and 2,273,503, respectively, each disclose a leaf spring carried substantially within side frame members. The Layman patent discloses one end of the leaf spring carried within side base sections of the frame which are preferably channel-shaped and open downwardly except where they are closed at the bottom by plates. The springs disclosed in the Couse patent are positioned within supplemental channels formed in the side members. The channels open downwardly and are closed by flat plate members except over the length of the spring.
Although the prior art has contributed to the advancement of trailer frames designed to accommodate leaf springs, the prior art frames involve side members requiring complicated and expensive fabrication processes.